Craft Elite bib shorts

With 10 panels in the lowers, Craft’s top-level Elite bibs are a fantastic fit and they’re flat-stitched throughout so there’s no annoying rubbing as you pedal. They feel great.

The lightweight Elites are long in the leg – the inseam is 10in (25.4cm) – so even if you’re tall they’ll come right down to just above the knee, and it’s quite a compressive cut. The broad, elasticated leg grippers come with loads of silicone rubber on the inner face that holds them in place even when your skin gets damp, so if you like to keep your quads well covered, these are a great choice. The main fabric stretches well in all directions so it never pulls or rucks while the uppers’ mesh is so fine that it’s barely there – it takes on hardly any moisture.

The Antimicrobial Elite Gel seat pad is pretty good too. It’s not as deeply cushioned as some – it’s 10mm at its the thickest – but it wicks sweat effectively and channels between the various contoured sections allow plenty of air to flow. We’d prefer a little more padding underneath the sit bones for long rides but it’s still a comfy option.

While we're being picky – hey, it's our job – the reflectives are on the wrong side to be most effective for those of us who ride on the left of the road. They're on the left leg and butt, so they're facing the gutter rather than the traffic. They're still impressive shorts, though.

Verdict

Superbly fitted shorts with generous leg length, although we'd prefer a little more depth in the seatpad